Hello Everyone
Last year, I started taking welding classes at a local community college. I would like to start welding at the house — hobby. Yet, I need to get the garage wired, 3-phase. I plan to do stick and tig. I haven’t bought a new welder yet. I have a stick that I bought at a garage sale. I will probably by a mid-range tig relatively soon. Any recommendation on the wiring.
Thx
Drake
Replies
I doubt that you will get any 3 phase service to a residence.
Are you sure you need 3 phase?
If so you'll need a phase converter or a 3 phase generator.
I misspoke it will be a 220.
Got a coupla extra open slots in your breaker box? Is the box in the garage?
I spoke with a electrician and he stated that it would be best to put a sub-panel in the garage. I live in an older home with a detached garage about 50 feet from the house.
I guess he will step up a 220 receptacle.
I think the welder forces you to put in a sub panel. The only question is what other loads do you want to plan for. The hardware is really a minimal part of the cost, it is mostly labor, so you might as well put in a pretty good sized panel. I would go at least 60a. That should be plenty for a one man shop, unless you need heat.
Yes, 60 amps is what I always suggest for a home workshop.However, if there is going to be a kiln or welding you need to check more closely.While I think that most "light to moderate" welders can get along with 30 amps or so I believe that some welders need 60-80 amps.And even on a 50-60 amp shop feed I always suggest a minimum of a 100 amp/20 slot panel as a minimum. They don't got much more than a 60 amp 8 slot and they give you room for whatever you want to do. And they are readily available..
William the Geezer, the sequel to Billy the Kid - Shoe
When we welded our brewing frame in my buddy's garage, we used a very long extention cord hard wired into his a/c compressor disconnect (we didn't have fuses for the old Zinser panel box inside). Installed the appropriate receptacle and voila!
Keep in mind that newer welders, capable of doing what you want, can run off of a 120v receptacle / circuit. The money you save in NOT wiring for the 220 to the garage may offset the cost of a new welder, and you can use the extention cord if you really want to bother with stick (which I doubt you will once you have a nice mig wire feed welder hooked into the 120v circuit). I guess a benefit of a sub-panel is more space for other toys, if you have them or intend to...just make sure you plan for that if you bother to spend the $$ to upgrade fully for better re-sale value?
I think the whole rig we used, which was borrowed, was about $750 brand spankin' new, not including the C25 gas, auto-darkening helmet (a must have -- go to horror freight), and rolling welder cart (also a nice benny).
Good luck. Welding is so much fun!"It depends on the situation..."
You can get a decent mig or stick unit that runs off of 110V, but that is mostly light duty stuff. Sheet metal and thin wall stuff up to 1/8 inch. If you want TIG, you need to step up to 220V. Find out exactly what welder you want to buy, and use those specs when designing the circuit. Make sure you don't buy a 3-phase unit. It's practically impossible to get in a residential area.
I do alot of welding, 26 years worth, you need a 100 amp sub panel in the garage, then a 50 amp breaker for the welder, you need 100 amp because you gonna have lights, fans, grinders etc. as far as welder need a lincoln cracker box ac/dc, stay away from the ac machine, oh its good but dc is so much nicer, cleaner, smoother and not much more money.
Welding inside the garage is a gamble. If I were you, after the new welder plug is wired-in, I'd use a big "extension cord" and get you and the welder out onto the driveway.
With copper being a hot item, yet with the retail and scrap prices down, checkout your nearest flea market, weekly garage sales, or just out-and-out buy a 20'-30' length of No. 6 or No. 8 wire. Buy a plug for one end and receptacle for the other, 50-amp for your 180 amp stick welder, and make you a big extension cord. It will give you some distance from your garage and do it a lot cheaper than buying large flexible extensions for your ground and the stick holder.
That's how I welded the metal trellises for my raised bed planters.
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Oh yeah, one more tip. Several years ago, I took a refresher welding course through the school district's Community Ed. classes. The Ag. teacher that taught it told of how he welded a crack in his pickup bed. The next morning, when he got ready to come to school, the pickup's automatic transmission wouldn't shift out of 2nd gear. Come to find out, the welder's electric arc fried the transmission's electronics, and 2nd gear is the "Fail Safe" to get you to the nearest repair shop...
Good luck with your welding,
Bill
Edited 8/5/2009 12:28 am ET by BilljustBill
Hi,
If you wire - get the thickest wire you can afford for the distance. I don´t know the american names. We take a five times 10square copper filament in Germany. Our regular power ist 220 single phase. Only the bigger machines have three-phase 380V.
The three phase motors live forever. (No contacts).
Hallo Velcro und willkommen bei breakTime.BruceT